


opening

by storiesfortravellers



Category: Sports Night
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Renaissance, Alternate Universe - Theatre, Alternate Universe - Writing & Publishing, Banter, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Epistolary, Flirting, Humor, M/M, Renaissance London, Rivalry, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 12:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14496861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: Dan and Casey are friends and rival playwrights in Renaissance London.





	opening

Daniel trod into his chamber and collapsed onto his bed. It had been a terrible opening night. 

His new play was an allegory about dangers of self-righteous hypocrisy, using the story of an Italian count and a Danish magician, in a plot with perhaps some similarities to a tale from Ovid. 

It had flopped. 

The audience had laughed at the tragic parts. And hadn’t laughed at the funny parts.

Daniel spoke the funniest lines to himself, then smiled. The line was funny. He was sure of it.

He didn’t know if he could write a better play than this. He had poured his heart into it. And so many sleepless nights, laboring over the perfect turn of phrase.

Clearly, the solution was to find a better audience. To demand that the audience _become_ better.

But of course that was hopeless. 

He should give up writing. Become a chandler perhaps, like his family wanted. He never wanted to write again.

He should destroy his pens and inkwell. Burn them.

No, sell them. He would need the money to start his candle business.

It was settled. This wretched failure of a play would be the last thing he ever wrote.

A letter then, sliding under his door. 

It was probably the playhouse owner demanding that he leave forever. 

Or perhaps a screed from an aristocrat offended by his sensibilities.

Maybe someone just wanted to call him names and hired a scribe to write them down. It would not surprise him. 

He sighed, got up from the bed, and walked over and picked up the letter and opened it.

It was from Cass Macall, the most revered playwright in London. He was but a few years older than Daniel but had many more successes. 

_My dearest friend Daniel,_

_I had the pleasure of being in the audience for your opening night. The play was one of the finest I’ve seen, and the verse’s beauty was incomparable._

_I must tell you, however, that I have pondered more upon our last exchange, in which you put forth that Cheapside is a fine place to purchase a meat pie. Upon further reflection, I am afraid that this postulation might be the greatest idiocy I have ever heard. The reasons for my conclusion are numerous and persuasive._

_With regards, your handsomest friend,  
Macall_

 

Daniel burst out laughing. He immediately filled his ink and sat at his desk with parchment, considering how he might reply.

He wrote: 

_My dear Cass,_

_It with mournful regret that I must inform you that you are, as is your usual habit, wrong in many regards._

_Matter the first: By my count, you are my seventh handsomest friend. Any man with eyes would surely rank Thomas, William, Jeremiah, the other Thomas, Christopher, and John before you in handsomeness. You are very handsome indeed, but surely an honorable man such as yourself need not resort to exaggeration and falsehoods._

_Matter the second: The meat pies in Cheapside strike a symmetry of grease and meat, heat and crust, that would make the ancient philosophers proud. Perhaps you should visit a physician to check your tongue to ensure that it works good and proper._

_Matter the third: Thank you for your kind words on my play. They mean more than you know._

_Matter the fourth: By my tally, you still owe me two ales._

_Matter the fifth: I suppose you are handsomer than John after all. Thus, I look forward to seeing the sixth most handsomest man I know quite soon, if such plans are amenable to him._

_With many flowery salutations,  
Rydell_

Daniel looked down at the letter he had just dashed off. 

He smiled. “Looks like I wrote one more thing after all.” 

He looked down at his inkwell. “I suppose I’d better save you then. Just in case.”

**Author's Note:**

> For trope bingo for historical AU


End file.
